Wait and see what comes after Alvar

[enmasse_1@xxxxxxxxxxx]

  Wait and see what comes after Alvaro de Soto?s report to the UN!!


SLORC was dissolved and restructured into SPDC on 15 November 1997.

Very recently, it was reported that regional commanders, brought into 
the restructured SPDC, are reported to be retaining their 
commands.(?RICEBOWL? by David Arnott: 5 February 1998 ).So, it has 
become clearer that the new military regime in Burma had managed to 
prevent any further fragmentation among the regional commanders by 
bringing them directly into the ruling junta and effectively able to 
centralise the distribution of power much more closely under the aegis 
of SPDC than it was under the SLORC. (Also take note that SPDC is able 
to keep the cabinet ministers separated from the ruling junta).

Another significant report was that Lieutenant-General Tin Oo, army 
chief of staff and Secretary Two of the SPDC, was quoted as making the 
statement on 16 December 1997 in the meeting with armed forces officers 
at the Ministry of Defence that the nation's armed forces never need to 
seize power again and that SPDC planned to transfer state power back to 
the people and is laying the groundwork. He also said that without these 
good foundations, the country will never be free from the endless 
'cycle' of the situation under which the army will have to take 
responsibility.(REUTERS: 16 December 1997). 

If the above mentioned plans of the SPDC are genuine, the only 
reasonable things that the leaders of the SPDC should be doing now is to 
make a real concerted effort to keep the promise and discuss the best 
ways and means to transfer power back to the people rather trying to 
forcefully approve an Indonesian style of constitutions to hang on to 
the power.  

It is hoped that we don?t have to put up with another fake promise like 
General Saw Maung was forced to give to the people of Burma before the 
general elections in 1990. Once is enough, I guess. I therefore 
recommend 'Tatmadaw' to keep its promise, honour the results of the May 
1990 elections and arrange to transfer power back to the people with the 
assistance of UN under the terms of UN resolutions on Burma in the near 
future. The final judgement on the intentions of the SPDC shall be made 
by its actions, not by its words.

It's already about a month since a special UN envoy visited Burma on 20 
January 1998 to have talks with the NLD and the SPDC. It is expected 
that an official report on this visit to the UN secretary general will 
only be out after a few more weeks into the coming month. Presently, 
there is no news to indicate that SPDC is making a move to prepare for a 
meeting with the NLD and other ethnic groups. I certainly hope that the 
NLD had made a formal request for UN assistance in the preparation for a 
systematic transfer of power to civilan rule. In the mean time, let's 
wait and see what comes after Alvaro de Soto's report to the 
secretary-general of the UN!!


                                               Minn Kyaw Minn


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